Lebanon city rededicates Veterans’ Memorial Walkway on Memorial Day

On Memorial Day, the City of Lebanon held a rededication for the Veterans’ Memorial Walkway, celebrating the memory of those who have served both locally and nationally.

Members of the community, government representatives, veterans, and police gathered for a ribbon cutting, as well as ceremonies honoring the United States and its military.

The morning saw a heavy focus on history, with Mayor Sherry Capello explaining that Memorial Day celebrations originated in 1865, with former slaves looking to honor Union soldiers who died during the Civil War. In 1868, an organization of Union veterans officially established Decoration Day, a day meant to decorate the graves of those fallen in war with flowers, on May 30.

May 30 was selected for the holiday due to the number of flowers blooming by late May.

Retired Sgt. Major and City Council member Joseph Morales said a prayer, urging those in attendance to honor and remember fallen veterans and their still-living families.

Then, attendees stood as cadets in Lebanon High School’s JROTC senior legion presented the U.S. colors.

Army veteran Jack Cantwell sang “The Star Spangled Banner” after explaining its history: the anthem began as a poem written by lawyer Francis Scott Key during the War of 1812, but was set to music years later and adopted as the National Anthem in 1931.

Young representatives of the Lebanon branch of the American Heritage Girls, a national faith-based youth program for girls, also sang two songs, led by Diane Carpenter.

Before the ribbon-cutting, Capello asked for a moment of silence for John Gingrich Sr., a Marine veteran and active community participant who died in April.

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The walkway, which runs between Fifth and Seventh streets, was first dedicated in 1997 alongside Fisher Veterans Memorial Park, Capello explained. At that time, the Veterans’ Advisory Council paid to install a flagpole and plaque.

Recently, Capello said, the city completed improvements to the walkway including new trees, benches, picnic tables, trash cans, and fence replacement. The improvements, she said, were intended to make “the walkway a more welcoming and reflective place for our veterans and for the community.